newbie 3 point question

[sburn518]

Finally broke down and bought a L3800DT package with loader, box blade and bush hog and love it. Last tractor I had was a early 50's model Farmall cub so 3 point equipment is new to me. Looking for any tips to make hooking up easier the bush hog especially. Will setting them on a level surface help, trying to get the bottom links both hooked up is about to kill my back. Is all I really need is more practice. thanks for any suggestions.

 

[Beanboy]

I bought a speeco quick hitch at a farm equipment company for about $250 bucks including three sets of adaptors for each piece of equipment. Later found the same cat 1 quick hitch at harbor freight for less than $100. Just back-up to the implement, raise the 3pt, trip the latches from your seat and go for box blades and disks. For PTO shaft you will have to step down and connect, but is best money ever spent for saving your back.
Good luck, and get a quick hitch. There are many different brands and types but the harbor freight price for a speeco is hard to beat

 

[Woody Martin]

I bought a speeco quick hitch at a farm equipment company for about $250 bucks including three sets of adaptors for each piece of equipment. Later found the same cat 1 quick hitch at harbor freight for less than $100. Just back-up to the implement, raise the 3pt, trip the latches from your seat and go for box blades and disks. For PTO shaft you will have to step down and connect, but is best money ever spent for saving your back.
Good luck, and get a quick hitch. There are many different brands and types but the harbor freight price for a speeco is hard to beat

I have a 1672 finish mower. So having 4 wheels makes it easier. In your case, hook up the non adjustable side first. Then take advantage of the other side by using the adjustment link. May take another back up or pull forward. Then do the drive shaft, then top link. Sounds easy, but I know what you're saying. You'll get better at it. Good luck

 

[Russell King]

I don't know what exactly you mean by breaking your back but you should not be picking anything that heavy up.

Here is how I do it, perhaps it will help you out.

Back up to the implement - being on flat ground really is best.
Get one of the eyes on the 3PH fairly close to the pin. Lower the 3PH below the pin. Turn off tractor, if possible do not put on parking brakes.

Go to the side where the eye was close. Lift the 3PH arm up to align with the pin. I often grab the thread on my rear tire (Ag) and move the tractor back or forward to help align the pin. Get that pin in the eye and lock it with the lynch pin.

If needed, start tractor and pull forward or back up SLOWLY to approximately align the other pin with the eye. Turn off tractor. Alternatively, use a pry bar at the back of implement to move it around to align second pin. (usually too much manual labor for me!)

Pick the arm up and get the pin through the eye and lock in with lynch pin.

Connect the upper link.

 

[Woody Martin]

Finally broke down and bought a L3800DT package with loader, box blade and bush hog and love it. Last tractor I had was a early 50's model Farmall cub so 3 point equipment is new to me. Looking for any tips to make hooking up easier the bush hog especially. Will setting them on a level surface help, trying to get the bottom links both hooked up is about to kill my back. Is all I really need is more practice. thanks for any suggestions.

Sorry that I didn't post the facts of using the up and down lever or maybe a pry bar to help move the equipment. Our messages were the same in theory. Yes, level ground will help. If you have to adjust the link to line up the hole, then do so. That's one of the reasons it's there.

 

[Burt]

Finally broke down and bought a L3800DT package with loader, box blade and bush hog and love it. Last tractor I had was a early 50's model Farmall cub so 3 point equipment is new to me. Looking for any tips to make hooking up easier the bush hog especially. Will setting them on a level surface help, trying to get the bottom links both hooked up is about to kill my back. Is all I really need is more practice. thanks for any suggestions.

sburn518,

OK, aside from the struggles with pry bars, SanAngelo bars, first, last, try watching this vid. We got a set, installed them and my wife can hitch and unhitch everything by herself! It's a bit more than the cheap Harbor Freight stuff but much better thought out and very heavy duty.

http://www.pats3pointhitchsystem.com

Burt

 

[Burt]

Finally broke down and bought a L3800DT package with loader, box blade and bush hog and love it. Last tractor I had was a early 50's model Farmall cub so 3 point equipment is new to me. Looking for any tips to make hooking up easier the bush hog especially. Will setting them on a level surface help, trying to get the bottom links both hooked up is about to kill my back. Is all I really need is more practice. thanks for any suggestions.

Sburn518,

Also, try a set of Hodges stabilizer arms for your 3 point arms. It will speed everything up and make life much easier. He's on this site.

Burt

 

[ShaunRH]

Finally broke down and bought a L3800DT package with loader, box blade and bush hog and love it. Last tractor I had was a early 50's model Farmall cub so 3 point equipment is new to me. Looking for any tips to make hooking up easier the bush hog especially. Will setting them on a level surface help, trying to get the bottom links both hooked up is about to kill my back. Is all I really need is more practice. thanks for any suggestions.

Having the same issue and due to the tightness of all the linkages, yeah, it's not fun. I'm also not a fan of the sway chains either, always having to adjust them for each implement. Definitely having to make some kind of spreader bar or mechanism there.

I like the look of the Pat's but it doesn't seem to help the top link connection at all so it cuts the work down by 2/3.

The LandPride/Speedco/HF/NT units deal with all 3 but then have fixed width issues so the implements need to be modded, and if you have a swiveling toplink (like is on most rotary mowers) you need to treat the connection a bit different. So these aren't a silver bullet either.

Short of a 'smart' 3 point hitch, we're essentially patching 1950's tech with some modern conveniences.

To be honest, the industry really should adopt a set of standards so that the connection points, the PTO location, etc. is always in the same spot. Then you could design a true passive 3 point quick hitch. Without that though, we need to find a way to make the hitch smarter or our backs tougher... HAHA!

 

[gpreuss]

I just bought a 4', 13lb pry bar that helps a lot. My neck does not bend like it used to, so I also mounted a camera looking straight down from my canopy. With it I can usually line things up pretty well. Generally the tiller, bush hog and ballast block are a bear. You really don't get particularly used to it.

 

[Burt]

Having the same issue and due to the tightness of all the linkages, yeah, it's not fun. I'm also not a fan of the sway chains either, always having to adjust them for each implement. Definitely having to make some kind of spreader bar or mechanism there.

I like the look of the Pat's but it doesn't seem to help the top link connection at all so it cuts the work down by 2/3.

The LandPride/Speedco/HF/NT units deal with all 3 but then have fixed width issues so the implements need to be modded, and if you have a swiveling toplink (like is on most rotary mowers) you need to treat the connection a bit different. So these aren't a silver bullet either.

Short of a 'smart' 3 point hitch, we're essentially patching 1950's tech with some modern conveniences.

To be honest, the industry really should adopt a set of standards so that the connection points, the PTO location, etc. is always in the same spot. Then you could design a true passive 3 point quick hitch. Without that though, we need to find a way to make the hitch smarter or our backs tougher... HAHA!

FYI top link...

Pat's has an extended top link that makes it all work smoothly. The hitches cause the arme to go out another 4 inches. Yes, we are back to the machine age on some of this tractor stuff, but after all, they are machines. IMHO, if kubota spent time on that, it would take away from building the great machines they build and somewhat diminish the aftermarket products that are so useful and inventive.

Like hodges stabilizers. They eliminate the stinking turnbuckles!

Try looking harder at some of the aftermarket stuff.

Burt

 

[aeblank]

www.deltahook.com

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk

 

[ShaunRH]

www.deltahook.com

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Now that's nice... but a plate needed for each implement ($372 ea) could get pricey fast...

I love the automation of it.

 

[ShaunRH]

FYI top link...

Pat's has an extended top link that makes it all work smoothly. The hitches cause the arme to go out another 4 inches. Yes, we are back to the machine age on some of this tractor stuff, but after all, they are machines. IMHO, if kubota spent time on that, it would take away from building the great machines they build and somewhat diminish the aftermarket products that are so useful and inventive.

Like hodges stabilizers. They eliminate the stinking turnbuckles!

Try looking harder at some of the aftermarket stuff.

Burt

I can't find Hodges Stabilizers for sale any place on-line. I can find some M series telescoping stabilizers but they won't fit my L3200.

I may have to make a set I guess...

 

[SLIMSHADIE]

Love my set for BX

http://stabilworks.com/

 

[ShaunRH]

Love my set for BX

http://stabilworks.com/

Thanks for the link, maybe I couldn't search it because I kept using "Hodges" not "Hodge"... hmmm.

 

[sburn518]

Thanks for all the suggestions, the "quick hitches" seem to be the way to go for a long term fix.

 

[cerlawson]

Maybe I am missing something, but the tractor appears to have a category 1 three point. Instead of paying over $200, look at Harbor Freight' quick hitch for about $100 for Cat. I. Might need a few bushings for the lower pins, from any farm store. . Saves all that fooling around with pry bars, lining things up,, etc. You don't even need to leave the seat for the hook up to start. Then the top link is the hardest part, but also real easy. You don't need the top hook they provide, but can make a suitable link for that attachment. Rugged and can match any from Northern Tool. These are suitable for about a 27" spread between "arm" end hooks which is common.for many attchments.

 

[coachgeo]

hoping to attempt to use a rented box blade tomorrow. Realized today I had not top link. Off to TSC I went. Got a cat 1 top link at TSC just guessing that was what I needed. There were three length sizes. Most on hand were the Medium (18") and that is what I got. Is this right? Stupid me got only one 3/4" pin to mount it to the tractor. Will have to grab another in the morning for the implement.

After returning I measured and looks like; according to Pat's page, I got a Cat 1 set of lift arms judging by the hole size of 7/8ths.

Just lubed up all adjustable threads with a Blaster like product so tomorrow things might be easier to adjust. Looks like nothings been done to them in years. The solid link is bent slightly and you can tell the adjustable on opposite side has not really been adjusted to accommodate. Course on second thought it may not have much adjustment left either. I do remember it is turned in pretty close to short as she will go.

There are short adjustable turnbuckles for stabilizer bars. does not seem so "stable" since they hang on links on each end. Would I need solid adjustable for box blade instead?

 

[gssixgun]

This is one of the simple how to vids on 3pt
It is WITHOUT any QH or Pat's etc: this is the old fashioned way..
Adding any of the new tricks makes it easier, but this vid shows the basics pretty good

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bSatF4QoqmI

 

[sheepfarmer]

If you have your implements on a concrete or wood floor, dollies are a big help. Elsewhere on the forum I have seen quite elegant ones made with big wheels and structures specific to the implement, but I am for the moment getting by with 3 furniture dollies from Harbor Freight for $9 apiece for my back blade. They are rated for 1,000 lbs or something which I don't really believe, but 3 are managing the 530 lbs on my blade ok.